


News

by joeyrz



Series: The Righting Wrongs Series [11]
Category: Xena: Warrior Princess
Genre: Joxerotica 2005 Challenge, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-12-02
Updated: 2005-12-02
Packaged: 2017-10-17 06:34:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/173946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joeyrz/pseuds/joeyrz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aphrodite has some news to share.</p>
            </blockquote>





	News

**Author's Note:**

> Notes: This is for the Joxerotica 2005 Challenge. This is November’s entry - ruling goddess: Aphrodite.   
> Notes the Second: The final JE2005 Challenge story!!! Wow. I made it. All the thanks go to Amy, who was so awesome to post this challenge that stirred my muse.   
> Notes the Third: This series will not continue past this point. I’m happy where I ended it, and could very well stay there.

“How’s Father feeling?”

“He’s still a little bit weak,” Hera confessed to her son, as they sat down in her garden for a late breakfast. “But with every little burst of energy that almost every god and goddess in Olympus is sending him, he’s starting to regain his strength back fast. And the thunderstorm Poseidon says is starting to brew out west in the sea will give enough of a boost to get him back on his feet in no time.”

“And Athena?”

Hera’s hold on the teapot wavered slightly and it was taken gently out of her hands. Her soft sigh gave her weariness away as she settled back into the high backed chair. “The nightmares have lessened, but she can’t remember them in the morning. They’re taking their toll on her, though… she isn’t recuperating at the speed Apollo had hoped.”

“She’ll get better soon, Mother. It’s not even been a week, she needs time to deal with this. Not only what Dahok put her through, but what she allowed to happen in her anger.”

“I know… Artemis has barely left her side, though, which seems to be helping. But enough about that. What did you want to see me for?”

Before he could answer, Aphrodite appeared in the garden in a shower of rose colored sparkles. ‘Dite looked tired, her hair was a little frayed around the edges, and her pink silk clothing, which was normally translucent to reveal the beaded underwear, was now rather opaque, covering her body just a tad more than usual. Hephaestus rose quickly to pull a chair out for his lover. They’d only just gotten back together again a week ago; the end of the terror that had gripped Olympus for such a short time became the cataclysm for their renewed passion.

“Oh! I’m sorry I’m so late, Mother Hera - thanks, Hephie,” she said all in a rush, leaning back to peck Hephaestus cheek. She sighed and cuddled up to him as he pulled a chair closer to hers and sat down. “I just overslept.”

“Overslept? But you look like you haven’t slept for a week, child - I don’t want to know,” Hera held up a hand to forestall the comment that was on the tip of Aphrodite’s tongue. The quick grin the lovers shared told her all she needed to know. “But even when present circumstances have occurred in the past, you’ve never looked this tired before.”

Sitting up straight in horror, Aphrodite conjured up a mirror and looked herself critically in it. Trying to pat down her curls, she asked, “Is it that bad, Hephie?”

“You looked gorgeous, as always.” He hadn’t spent centuries in and out of a relationship with the goddess without learning the appropriate answer for these questions.

“You look fine, just tired. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re just pr-” Hera stopped talking abruptly as she looked at her daughter in law closer. “You... but it’s... wasn’t it... impossible?” She looked at Hephaestus for confirmation.

“She is, and you’re right. It is impossible... for us. It’s not mine. But I hope,” he continued, looking at Aphrodite, “that I can raise it if it were?”

Her smile could have lit the whole of Olympus. “Of course, Hephie! I want that so much!” She almost knocked them both over, as she threw her hands around him, practically climbing into Hephaestus’ lap.

Hera continued to drink her tea, composed but not at ease. She waited patiently for the pair of them to shift back into their seats. “So who is the father?”

“Is it that difficult a question, Mother Hera? Besides Hephie, there’s only one other god I’ve ever shared my bed with.”

“Hence our current dilemma,” Hephaestus stated.

“When?”

Aphrodite wondered how one single word could carry so many different questions and could potentially contain so many unwelcome consequences.

“I’m three months along. I know I should have to you sooner, to check up on it, but…”

Hera shushed her, turning her chair and motioning Aphrodite to the same so they could face each other with the table out of their way. Leaning slightly forward and pressing her hands on the younger goddess’ abdomen, Hera concentrated. Moving her hands around, the goddess of childbirth focused her powers on the tiny bundle of energy rapidly growing inside the womb. She spent a few minutes at it, cataloguing the baby’s development, growth, energy levels and awareness before sitting back on her chair, patting Aphrodite’s stomach very lightly as she removed her hands.

“So?” Hephaestus asked anxiously. Aphrodite had assured him everything was okay, but he needed to hear it from the expert.

“You have a very healthy baby there. Growing fast, which is usual for you, Aphrodite. Can already tell you the sex if you wish.”

Both gods nodded earnestly, Aphrodite holding her breath as Hephaestus mentally crossed his fingers, hoping.

“It’ll be one beautiful girl, I’m sure of it.”

“Yes!” Hephaestus whooped in joy, standing an knocking over his chair, wishing he had the mobility to do a cartwheel.

Aphrodite was looking down at her belly, softly cradling the bump that had already started to show and with a beautiful smile, said her baby girl’s name.

“Harmonia.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

“I didn’t know Aphrodite could cook.”

Ares shot his much used ‘you are very weird’ look at Joxer as his lover reclined on their bed. He pulled a dark blue shirt from the mahogany armoire, and hanged it on a hook on the door. He tugged off his black, leather vest, and tossed it carelessly on the bed next to Joxer.

“Are you gonna wear a shirt?” Joxer asked incredulously, sitting up on the bed.

Not saying a word, Ares, very pointedly, unbuttoned the shirt, took it off the hanger and slipped it on. He smiled inwardly as he saw Joxer scramble to his feet, moving quickly behind Ares and rubbing his pale hands up the silk covered chest.

“You... you never wear shirts!”

“I wear shirts,” Ares disputed simply.

“You don’t! I’ve been with you for almost two months now, and I knew you in the future for years, and you never once wore a shirt!”

“Just because you haven’t seen me wear one before, doesn’t mean I don’t wear them.”

“Two months!”

“Are you objecting?” Ares asked, knowing by the roving hands that that wasn’t the case.

“Tartarus, no!” Joxer shimmied in between Ares and the armoire, his naked chest sliding erotically against the silk of Ares’ shirt. “You look good enough to eat. But why the shirt?”

Ares dropped his head down to lick at Joxer’s neck, murmuring against his skin, “gotta keep you on your toes.”

“Oh, please do,” Joxer begged, pulling at the fastening’s of Ares’ leather pants, before remembering he was a god. It took all of his concentration, but a second later, both their pants disappeared to Gaia knows where.

Ares growled in appreciation and with one hard kiss to Joxer’s lips, he turned his lover around, smirking as his lover moaned at the feel of the silk rubbing across his chest and back. He made no move to take the shirt off... if Joxer wanted him to keep the shirt, he’d keep the shirt.

With a quick thought, Ares prepared Joxer, smirking as his lover jumped slightly at the sudden slick feeling inside. It never failed to amuse him. Pressing Joxer firmly against the dresser’s door, Ares pushed his lover’s legs apart and moved in impossibly close. Grabbing himself, he guided his cock into Joxer’s tight ass, pushing firmly but slowly, as tight muscles relaxed around him.

Joxer braced himself with one hand against, what he hoped was, a strong piece of furniture, moving the other backwards to hold onto Ares’ hip, pulling his lover tighter against him.

“Come on... now, Ares...”

That was one request Ares wasn’t going to refuse. With one hand on Joxer’s hip and another across his chest, rubbing the cool silk over Joxer’s sensitive nipples, Ares began to thrust into him, quickly finding a satisfying rhythm for both of them.

It was times like these that Joxer was grateful he was now a god too. He could now keep up with Ares, stretching their lovemaking twice or three times as long as it had been when he’d been a mortal.

The armoire was groaning under their weight by the time Joxer threw his head back, screaming silently as he spilled over Ares’ hand. Moving his head to capture his lover’s lips, he swallowed Ares’ growl of completion, shuddering with aftershocks as he felt the sudden wet heat inside him. Collapsing back onto a strong muscled shirt, Joxer smiled.

“’Dite doesn’t cook.”

“Huh?”

“She doesn’t cook, she gets her acolytes to prepare her meals,” Ares explained.

After a second, Joxer decided that non-sequitor deserved a laugh, so he did, all the while it took Ares to dump him into the bed and smother the laughter with an incendiary kiss.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Thanks for the dinner invitation, Aphrodite,” Joxer said as he laid a gentle kiss on the goddess’ cheek.

She smiled as she ushered them across her temple’s main room and into the dining room. “It’s not a big deal. The acolytes do most of the work, I just have to play hostess.”

“Told you,” Ares murmured into Joxer’s ear.

“Hello, Brother!” Hephaestus boomed out as he walked over to them, his limp barely noticeable, giving his very restful week away. The harder he worked, the worst the limp became.

“Heph!” Ares hugged his brother enthusiastically. “So now I know why we’re here. Celebrating another go at it?”

Joxer smiled hugely, hugging ‘Dite and releasing her to hug Hephaestus. “That’s great!”

Dinner passed pleasantly, though all three gods were out-eaten by the goddess. It was only when they moved from the dining room into the lounge that Ares noticed that their hosts were silently debating something.

“Okay, out with it. It’s not like I don’t know you’re keeping something from us,” Ares growled, slipping into War God mode, hoping to get whatever it was out of them and fast.

Deciding to take the bull by the horns, ‘Dite took a deep breath and said, “I’m pregnant.”

“Congratulations!” Joxer enthused. “That’s... great?” Suddenly noticing the tense silence, he finished lamely. “What? Is something wrong with the baby?”

“No! It’s not that, sweetie... it’s... you see...”

“I’m sterile, Joxer. I can’t have children. It’s from the Fall,” Hephaestus explained.

“So if it’s not yours, then who’s the fat...” Joxer trailed off as he stared in horror at Ares. Ares, who seemed unable to meet his gaze. Ares, who was grinding his teeth so hard he could hear it from where he stood.

He stared for what seemed ages, until he felt Aphrodite shaking him.

“Joxer, sweetie, listen. I’m three months along. That means it was way before you came here, before we, Ares, knew you. It was a fling, nothing more... well, now it’s more, but it’s not something that’s gonna come between you and Ares. Not something that has to or should. Don’t let it. You know we have other children - Cupid, Anteros, Phobos, Deimos. Now, we’re gonna have little Harmonia.”

“A girl?” Ares asked, dumbfounded.

“A girl,” Heph confirmed.

“Joxie... I love Ares, no doubt about it. But I’m in love with Hephie, just like you guys are in love with one another. Little Harmonia won’t come between all of us. She’s going to bring us all closer.”

Joxer looked at Ares again, who was alternative watching him and ‘Dite’s slightly protruding belly. When he caught Ares’ gaze, he could see the love burning there. Love for his child. Love for him.

It was amazing what being God of Friendship allowed him to feel and see. He could feel, and in his mind’s eye, see, the bonds of friendship and fealty binding each of them to one another. Assurance hit him quickly, leaving him feeling calm. He wondered briefly how Aphrodite saw their bonds of love, but dismissed it, content in the knowledge that while he couldn’t see those, he felt them with every inch of his being.

“So, I’m gonna be a step dad?”

Aphrodite’s smile blinded him, while Ares stole his breath with a kiss.

The end.


End file.
